1984: when Ivory Coast hosted its first AFCON

Tchétché Aimé, known as "Gallego", is part of the 1984 generation. The former centre-back at Africa Sports still remembers the opening game of the 1984 AFCON, the first staged by his country. Images of the match that was meant to launch the Elephants' tournament in front of their own fans come back to him in a rush every time he thinks about it.

"The match that undoubtedly marked my career and is still engraved in my mind and my heart in indelible ink. It was the opening game of the 1984 AFCON at home. The memories are distant, but I'll tell you what I still remember of that special day, 4 March 1984," says the Ivorian legend.

"It was madness as we left our hotel"

"We couldn't afford a slip-up against Togo in that first match. We were fired up. The team had been preparing for weeks. We were staying at the Golf Hôtel in Abidjan. I remember leaving the hotel for the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny. It was madness, with lines of fans along our route. But the crowd outside was nothing compared with the one inside the stadium. There were at least 50 thousand people waiting for us. It was unthinkable to slip up," recalls the current pundit for national television.

With a starting XI made up of the best local players of the time and only a few professionals, the instruction was clear. "We had to win that first match. Whether it was the President of the Republic, the Sports Minister or the coach, the message was the same. We had to win, not only to get properly into the competition but also to do the country proud, as it was hosting such an event for the first time in its history."

"The stakes got to us very quickly"

Ivory Coast's starting XI for that opening game of their 1984 AFCON included Koffi Kouadio, Tchétché Aimé himself, François Monguehi, Emile Gnahoré, Adjoukoua Gaston, Gadji Celi, Miézan Pascal, Tia Koffi, Désiré Sikely, Jean-Michel Guédé and, of course, the famous Youssouf Falikou Fofana. "We were under enormous pressure against Yaovi Assogba, Rafiou Moutairou and their Togolese team-mates. The stakes got to us very quickly. The first 20 minutes were suffocating. The fans were pushing us on all the way and we couldn't find a way through. Fortunately, things settled down shortly before the half-hour mark. Tia Koffi found the net (1-0, 27th minute, editor's note) and that helped us go into the break with a one-goal lead."

"Total hysteria at the Félicia"

After the break, Youssouf Fofana (2-0, 62nd) and substitute Michel Goba added to the tally (3-0,75th). "It was total hysteria in the little jewel box of a stadium nicknamed 'the Felicia' ", Tchétché says with emotion.

However, that win was the only bright spot in the tournament for the Elephants. They lost 2-1 to Egypt on matchday 2, despite having taken the lead in the 53rd minute through Miézan. But the great Taher Abouzaid, the tournament's eventual top scorer (4 goals), struck twice to give the Pharaohs victory. And on the final matchday, Cameroon, led by Roger Milla, showed the Elephants no mercy, winning 2-0. The Indomitable Lions went on to win the 1984 AFCON a few days later, becoming African champions for the first time in their history.

"Unfortunately, the rest of the tournament didn't go well. In Group A with Egypt and Cameroon, the pressure ended up crushing our desire to play well. We finished 3rd behind the Egyptians and the Cameroonians. It was painful, but the memory of the passion of the fans and of the stylish win in our opening game made me forget that sad disappointment in the end," he concluded his account, hoping the new generation will do better in six months.

Sanh Séverin